Eobeet laetee



R. LARTER. Clothes Drier.

No. 229,831. Patented July 13, 1880.

N-PETERS. PHOTO-LITHDGRAPHER, WASHINGTON, b. C.

UN TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT LARTER, OF EAST ORANGE, ASSIGN OR OF ONE-HALF OF HIS RIGHT TO BERNARD BLOEMEKE, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

CLOTHES-DRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 229,831, dated July 13, 1880.

Application filed May 15, 1879.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ROBERT LARTER, of East Orange, county of Essex, in the State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements relating to Clothes-Driers, of which the following is a specification.

The invention is intended to stand in the vicinity of dwelling-houses in the same manner as the clothes poles and lines heretofore used.

For city houses it will occupy a part or the whole of the area of the yard or lot in the rear of the building. I provide four posts, which may be the same as the ordinary posts for such purpose; and I provide a central post which is deeply grooved on one side to receive a racked slide, which is operated at will by a suitable pinion, and on being raised carries upward the inner ends of certain radial cords or wires, which are attached to the'pos ts and to lines which connect the posts. Spiral springs being introduced on the inner ends of these radial lines, adjacent to the central post, they are by the action of the springs kept approximately tight when down, and are allowed to 2 5 stretch when the central post is raised.

Devices are applied on the radial wires, and also on the other wires, for the attachment and liberation of the clothing.

A further provision is an awning cloth 3o properly formed to cover the entire area of the drier, so as to protect the clothes, when partially or wholly dried, from sudden showers, or clothes with peculiar dyes or colors from the direct rays of the sun. The awning is 3 5 readily rolled away when not needed for use, and when in use furnishes a pleasing shade for recreation or the like.

The following is a descriptionof what I consider the best means of carrying out the in- 40 vention.

The accompanying drawings f, rm a part of this specification.

Figure l is a vertical section, showing my apparatus in use covered. Fig. 2 is a plan view, with a portion of the covering broken away to show the wires-and appliances adapting it for use as a clothes-drier.

Similar letters of reference indicate likeparts in all the figures.

A A A are the corner-posts. B is the main body of the central post, formed with a deep groove sunk in one of its sides, which groove receivesa slide, B, properly equipped at the head for engaging with springs D, which are attached to or form a part of radial wires D. There are wires 0, which connect the posts A with each other. Four of the radial wires D connect to the posts, and others of the radial wires connect to the wires C. All these may be galvanized iron, though other material-as cords--may be used, if preferred.

One of the faces of the slide B is formed with teeth Z), as shown. A spurgear wheel,

E, is mounted in asupporting-yoke, B bolted on the post B. This geanwheel E is fixed on a shaft, 6, on which is also keyed a hand-wheel, E, by turning which the wheel E is made effective to raise and lower the slide B atpleasure.

A stout ring, b, at the head of the post B, incloses the slide B. A pawl, Gr, immediately below this, turning on a wire, g, as a pivot, serves as a pawl to engage with the teeth of the wheel E, and thus hold up the slide B at the required altitude.

I is the main body of my awning; 1, the skirt or drooping edge thereof, and I a stout inner skirt, the purpose of which will appear farther on. The part I is made in sections to allow the center to be raised considerably by the elevation of the slide B, and thus to draw the whole into a tight and smooth roof or top adapted to shed water. The skirt 1 forms graceful edges and partial sides.

Proper clothes-holding devices, M, may be secured to the wires, if desired.

K is a roller of sufficient length to extend between bearings mounted on two of the posts.

It receives the awning when it is not in use. The awning is wound up on this roller by turn 0 ing it. Itis in the form oftwo frustums of cones. The diameter at the center is just so much greater than the diameter at each end as is required to compensate for the increased quantity of material to be taken up at that point. 5 The hearings on which it is mounted are denoted L. They are formed ofstout sheet metal, secured in the head of the post by sawing into the same and inserting the sheet metal and securing by a transverse bolt or rivet. IOO

I providealine of points or slight projections, k, along the roller K, which aid in holding the edge of the awning on commencing to roll it up. The length of these points I: is exaggerated in the drawings.

The slide 8 is held at its highest point by the stop I) acting upon a fixture on the post.

Turning the pinion in one direction raises the slide B, and consequently the inner ends of the radial wires D and the clothing dependent from said wires. The pawl G, being engaged with the teeth of the wheel E, holds the slide in the required elevated position. To

remove the clothes the center is let down again.

From the foregoing description the operation of my device is obvious. I claim as my invention- ROBT. LARTE R.

Witnesses:

E. B. BOLTON, CHARLES C. STETsON. 

